Accounts Receivable Officer

Role Purpose

To proactively manage the accounts receivable ledger by facilitating timely debt recovery, resolving complex disputes, and maintaining high levels of customer service. This role is critical in optimizing cash flow, reducing DSO (Days Sales Outstanding), and minimizing bad debt exposure while adhering to regulatory guidelines and company values.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management & Debt Recovery
• Proactive Collection: Execute high-volume outbound collection activity (calls and written correspondence) to achieve monthly cash flow and KPI targets.
• Account Monitoring: Continuously monitor the ledger to identify overdue accounts and initiate prompt follow-up actions.
• Inbound Response: Act as a primary point of contact for debt-related inquiries via phone, email, and chat, ensuring responses meet established Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Debtor Support: Guide debtors through repayment options, explain terms clearly, and provide professional assistance to facilitate debt resolution.
• Dispute Resolution & Stakeholder Liaison
• Complex Problem Solving: Investigate and resolve high-level queries, including detailed account/invoice reconciliations.
• Supply Management: Manage "Stop Supply" statuses effectively to mitigate risk while coordinating with Branch teams for asset collection or de-hire processes.
• Internal Collaboration: Liaise with Banking, Sales, and Branch Managers to resolve payment misallocations, raise necessary credits, and escalate stalled accounts for faster resolution.
• Professional Negotiation & Compliance
• Strategic Negotiation: Negotiate sustainable payment plans or settlements, balancing the debtor’s financial situation with the company’s commercial interests.
• Regulatory Adherence: Ensure all collection activities strictly comply with ACCC guidelines, Privacy Laws, Accounting Standards, and internal company policies.
• Secured Debt Knowledge: Utilize a working knowledge of the PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) to leverage aged debt recovery.
• Administrative Excellence & Documentation
• Record Keeping: Maintain meticulous notes within the system for every customer interaction to ensure a transparent audit trail.
• Ledger Maintenance: Perform daily "milk run" reports, clear unapplied cash, and allocate open credits to ensure an accurate and clean ledger.
• Digital Integration: Manage the group inbox and upload invoices to third-party portals (e.g., Coupa, Ariba, Taulia) to streamline the payment process.
• Risk Mitigation & Bad Debt Management
• Due Diligence: Perform entity checks via ASIC or Creditor Watch to assess debtor status.
• Legal & Recovery: Manage the referral process for 3rd-party Debt Collection Agencies (DCA) and prepare Bad Debt Write-off (BDW) submissions before month-end deadlines.
• Insolvency: Lodge formal "Proof of Debt" forms for accounts entering administration, liquidation, or bankruptcy.